Cal Thomas: 'We Need Term Limits'

Government waste and spending are threatening the United States, and an inability to have serious discussions about serious issues is making things worse, according to Cal Thomas.

The conservative political commentator told John Bachman and J.D. Hayworth on Newsmax TV's "America's Forum" that the U.S. government needs a top-to-bottom audit to cut out waste and inefficiency in spending. That audit would ideally look like the similarly intended Grace Commission, instigated by President Ronald Reagan, but would have the teeth of the ongoing Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) that has consolidated and closed military bases across the United States.

Such a commission with unilateral power could make meaningful changes while allowing members of Congress to distance themselves from decisions they didn't agree with – much like the choices made by BRAC, Thomas said.

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BRAC "gave the congressmen cover because if people in their district complained about loss of economy, loss of jobs, they could say, 'Well, don't blame me. That was that evil BRAC commission.' So that's what we need," Thomas said.

As it stands now, nothing gets done in Congress because elected officials are too wrapped up in political games, Thomas said.

"It's a game, and that's why we need term limits. These people are pathetic," Thomas said. "They don't fix anything. They just throw these rhetorical barbs back and forth at each other. We need term limits to get them out of here before they get infected with what used to be called Potomac fever. The sooner, the better."